Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-'amarah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $672 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
Learn more

Al-'amarah Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al-'amarah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Al-'amarah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $672 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Al-'amarah $672

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,023 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Al-'amarah $1,023

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,373 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Al-'amarah $1,373

Medellin costs about 144% more than Al-’amarah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Al-’amarah is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.08 IQD 6,163

98.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$19.39 IQD 29.3K

142.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.29 IQD 9,501

51.03%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.23 IQD 3,364

34.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.38 IQD 575

373.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.21 IQD 311

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.01 IQD 4,555

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.45 IQD 3,705

134.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.99 IQD 1,494

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.67 IQD 1,014

255.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.38 IQD 2,090

28.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.59 IQD 2,409

81.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.88 IQD 5,856

162.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.44 IQD 5,192

186.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$13.32 IQD 20.1K

5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.95 IQD 1,440

317.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.98 IQD 1,474

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.91 IQD 1,368

139.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.63 IQD 951

246.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.55 IQD 836

256.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.63 IQD 950

152.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.56 IQD 848

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.47 IQD 715

163.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.48 IQD 2,231

167.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

13.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.68 IQD 2,545

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.85 IQD 2,798

22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.29 IQD 438

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.79 IQD 2,712

-29.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.17 IQD 1,766

75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.46 IQD 8,252

56.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.58 IQD 878

132.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

93.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$14.7K IQD 22.2M

136.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 COP 547.0K

$97.8 IQD 147.8K

73.45%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

-7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$28.47 IQD 43.0K

-1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

-23.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 COP 2.6M

$143 IQD 216.2K

456.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,964 IQD 4.5M

207.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$23.18 IQD 35.0K

265.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$22.01 IQD 33.3K

163.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$68.2 IQD 103.0K

97.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$32.78 IQD 49.5K

198.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$204 IQD 308.8K

490.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$140 IQD 211.8K

357.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$368 IQD 555.9K

451.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$287 IQD 433.4K

252.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$863 IQD 1.3M

382.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$486 IQD 733.7K

293.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$434 IQD 655.1K

51.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Al-'amarah

$140 20.9% 78.1% $501

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Al-'amarah

$162 24.1% 45.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Al-'amarah

$141 21% 33.3% $70

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Al-'amarah

$101 15% 40.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Al-'amarah

$66 9.8% 61.1% $103

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Al-'amarah

$8.8 * 1.3% 90.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Al-'amarah

$55 8.1% 5.2% $3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $204 in Al-’amarah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 52% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $19 in Al-’amarah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $162 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

04:59 4:59 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

511,542

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Al-'amarah 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al-'amarah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Al-'amarah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 144%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,009 in Al-’amarah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $19 in Al-’amarah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-’amarah, where all-in costs run around $672, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Al-’amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-’amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al-’amarah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.